American Wire Gauge (AWG) Cable Description

aka Brown & Sharpe wire gauge

The table below lists the wire characteristics for different gauge sizes of
the American Wire Gauge [AWG].
The American Wire Gauge provides a means of specifying wire diameters.
For each different AWG [wire size] the table provides the Diameter [in mils], the resistance per 1000 foot,
the current carrying capability [Ampacity], and Pounds per Foot [number
of feet required to weigh 1 pound].
The AWG is based upon a constant ratio of cross-section between wires of successive gauge sizes [numbers].

Read the notes below the table to determine how the Ampacity was derived. The larger the AWG wire gauge number, the
smaller diameter of the wire. The table is based on an ambient temperature of
25oC. However the next link provides additional temperatures.
Some of the standard wire sizes used in a number of
Interface Buses [for data lines] are #22AWG, #24AWG, #26AWG, and 30AWG.
Refer here for a quick guide to Wire Gauge by Resistance Table.
A listing of Electronic bus standards are located on the Buses page.

Another table near the bottom of the page provides copper current carrying ability [Ampacity] for Teflon
insulated wire. Related; Cable Derating. Conductor size is based one or more of the following considerations:
Current carrying capacity [inducing a rise in wire temperature, in high-voltage lines], Short circuit current, or Voltage drop [long low voltage lines].

AWG Wire Table, AWG Copper Wire Gauge Chart

AWG

Diam. (mils)

Circular mils

Ohms/1000ft

Current Carrying

Fusing Current

Feet per Pound

0000

460

212000

0.050

-

-

1.56

000

410

168000

0.063

-

-

1.96

00

365

133000

0.077

-

-

2.4826

0

324.85

105531

0.096

-

-

3.1305

1

289.3

83694

0.1264

119.6

-

3.947

2

257.6

66358

0.1593

94.8

-

4.977

3

229.4

52624

0.2009

75.2

-

6.276

4

204.3

41738

0.2533

59.6

-

7.914

5

181.9

33088

0.3915

47.3

-

9.980

6

162

26244

0.4028

37.5

668

12.58

7

144.3

20822

0.5080

29.7

561

15.87

8

128.5

16512

0.6405

23.6

472

20.01

9

114.4

13087

0.8077

18.7

396

25.23

10

101.9

10384

1.018

14.8

333

31.82

11

90.7

8226

1.284

11.8

280

40.12

12

80.8

6529

1.619

9.33

235

50.59

13

72.0

5184

2.042

7.40

197

63.80

14

64.1

4109

2.575

5.87

166

80.44

15

57.1

3260

3.247

4.65

140

101.4

16

50.8

2581

4.094

3.69

117

127.9

17

45.3

2052

5.163

2.93

98.4

161.3

18

40.3

1624

6.510

2.32

82.9

203.4

19

35.9

1289

8.210

1.84

69.7

256.5

20

32.0

1024

10.35

1.46

58.4

323.4

21

28.5

812

13.05

1.16

-

407.8

22

25.3

640

16.46

.918

41.2

514.12

23

22.6

511

20.76

.728

-

648.4

24

20.1

404

26.17

.577

29.2

817.7

25

17.9

320

33.0

.458

-

1031

26

15.9

253

41.62

.363

20.5

1300

27

14.2

202

52.48

.288

-

1639

28

12.6

159

66.17

.228

14.4

2067

29

11.3

128

83.44

.181

-

2607

30

10.0

100

105.2

.144

10.2

3287

31

8.9

79

132.7

.114

-

4145

32

8.0

64

167.3

.090

-

5227

33

7.1

50.125

211.0

.072

-

6591

34

6.3

39.75

266.0

.057

5.12

8310

35

5.6

31.5

335

.045

4.28

10480

36

5.0

25.0

423

.036

3.62

13210

37

4.45

19.83

533

.028

-

16660

38

3.97

15.7

673

.022

2.5

21010

39

3.5

12.47

848

.018

-

26500

40

3.14

9.89

1070

.014

1.77

33410

41

2.8

7.842

-

-

1.52

-

42

2.494

6.219

-

-

1.28

-

43

2.221

4.932

-

-

1.060

-

44

1.978

3.911

-

-

0.916

-

45

1.761

3.102

-

-

-

-

46

1.568

2.460

-

-

-

-

47

1.397

1.951

-

-

-

-

48

1.244

1.547

-

-

-

-

49

1.107

1.227

-

-

-

-

50

0.986

0.973

-

-

-

-

Table of Bare Copper Wire

General Notes:
The wire size is different between the American Wire Gage [AWG] and the British standard. The table above only lists the AWG standard.
AWG [American Wire Gauge] may also be called the Brown and Sharpe (B&S) Wire Gauge, but would be an extremely out-dated reference. See the B&S note below.
The Birmingham Wire Gauge [BWG] is used for steel armor wire, as opposed to copper wire. [other wire gauge standards]
Watch for round-off errors, as many numbers were rounded. Use the table as a guide. [equivalent Cross-Sections of Wire]
The wire weight [pound per foot] provided does not include wire insulation, a jacket or any shielding as that would imply a cable and not a wire.
The weight of the wire is critical in some applications; for example, aircraft cabling. More data [AWG Table for 25C - 65C]
Circular mils is the diameter squared in mils. [Table of AWG sizes in metric]
The editor has never reviewed the American Wire Gauge [AWG] standard.

Current Notes:
The current shown per wire size listed above is based on 1 amp/ 700 Circular mils, other tables provide different current per wire size, and
different current for open air ~ check your local electrical code for the
correct current capacity [Ampacity]. The 1 amp/ 700 Circular mils seems
to be the most conservative, other sites provide/allow for 1 amp per 200
or 300 Circular mil. For shot wire lengths use 1A/200 Circular mil, for
longer wire runs use 300 Circular mil, and for very long wire runs use
the table above, 1 amp / 700 Circular mil.

The current rating is listed based on permissible voltage drop and not
conductor heating.

The ability of a wire to carry a given amount of current is affected by a
number of additional factors, which are not accounted for in the AWG
table above. The ambient temperature of the surrounding air, wire
insulation, and number of other wires bundled together [provided
below].

Ampacity relates to the ability of the conductor to carry current [amps]
before the cable over heats. I understand there are hundreds of Ampacity
tables for many different conditions. The numbers above are but one
example. Ampacity Tables for many conditions:

The National Electrical Code [NEC] requires their own cable sizing for
premises wiring. Refer to the NEC rules to determine building wiring, as
this page relates to electronic equipment wiring. For reference, the
ampacity of copper wire at 300C for common wire sizes
14 AWG may carry a maximum of 20 Amps in free air, or 15 Amps as part of
a 3 conductor cable.
12 AWG may carry a maximum of 25 Amps in free air, or 20 Amps as part of
a 3 conductor cable.
10 AWG may carry a maximum of 40 Amps in free air, or 30 Amps as part of
a 3 conductor cable.
8 AWG may carry a maximum of 70 Amps in free air, or 50 Amps as part of a
3 conductor cable.

The wire fusing [melting] current is based on the material the wire is
made of, the diameter of the wire and the melting point of the the
material. The wire fusing current of a wire is provided in tables as
constant current or as [a larger] current for some given amount of
time.
I found this formula used on a few different sites [un-verified];
I=Ad(3/2) @ d is in inches, A is a constant: A = 10,244 for
Copper. A = 7,585 for Aluminum.
I have listed a number of values for fusing current in the table above,
for selected AWG sizes.

The graphic below will answer the question how much current can wire handle, safely, but it only applies to single wires, as in wire gauge ampacity.
Adding more wires inside an insulator will trap more heat and force the cable handle less current, by design.
Note the graphic does not address wire length.

Wire Gauge vs Current

Cable manufacturers will provide different numbers based on the
insulation used for the wire.
Use the table below to off-set the conservative current carrying numbers
in the table above, and the fusing current. The table below lists copper
wire with a Teflon [TFE] insulation. Teflon insulation has a higher
operation temperature range then other insulators, for example PVC. The
table below is based on data derived from MIL-STD-975, using
700C as the operating temperature. To derate based on number
of wires in a bundle:
IBW = ISW x (29 - #wire) / 28 @ [1 to 15
Bundled wires]
IBW = ISW x (0.5) @ [more then 15 Bundled
wires]
ISW = Single wire [Wire ampacity is higher with a single wire]
IBW = Bundled wires [Wire ampacity is lower in a bundled wire because the heat from each wire adds together]
To derate by temperature use; derate by 80% at 150oC, 70% at
135oC, or 50% at 105oC (per MIL-STD-975)

I have seen one other Military Specification [MIL-STD-xx] for copper wire
current capability. That standard [I did not note the standard number]
listed AWG 18 [for example] as 10 amps with TFE insulation. That
indicates that this additional military specification uses the same data
listed in the table above, but may be listed for 250C, and not
700C as the table uses. So this table above has already been
derated for 700C.
This page provides a conservative guide for Ampacity for bare copper wire
[700 Circular mils/amp] , the melting [point] current for bare copper
wire, and the Ampacity for TFE coated copper wire. The American Wire Gage
[AWG] for bare copper wire is also listed. Refer to the National
Electrical Code [NEC] to determine cable sizing for premises wiring.
This page represents my notes on the subject, purchase one of the standards or
specifications referenced on this page when doing professional
work.
Also see the Wire Insulation Color Code page; Color
coding of wire insulation based on application.

With any topic there are a number of different ways to describe the same thing;
AWG, Wire Gauge, Wire Size Chart, AWG Wire Gauge, American Wire Gauge, AWG Cable, Wire Gauge Sizes, and AWG Table all relate to the same thing.
Note that the wire gauge table concerns the physical size of the wire and does not address a cable;
As a cable would be insulated wires with attached connectors or a number of wires within an insulating jacket.

B&S Note: The term 'Brown and Sharpe' is out dated in regards to the American Wire Gauge.
By the early 1900's the Brown and Sharpe table became known as the American Wire Gauge.
I'm not really sure why it is even being referenced any longer. Brown and Sharpe was a company that produced wire.

Magnet wire and normal copper wire will have the same wire gauge, as the enameled coating over bare wire does not add much thickness.Wire Rope is not referenced here because wire rope is stranded wire, while the AWG table covers solid wire.